DESIGN OF A DETACHED BREAKWATER SYSTEM

Osamu Toyoshima

Abstract

Beach erosion is one of the serious problem in Japan. As a countermeasure against beach erosion, many preventive works, such as sea walls and groins, have been constructed during the past 20 or more years. However, as the result of field investigations, it has become clear that sea walls and groins are not always effective on beach erosion prevention, and inversely, in some cases, they accelerate the beach erosion. Based on the above cognition, the author has proposed and tried to apply the detached breakwater system as a measure against beach erosion for the last 8 years. This is for the purpose of developing the sand deposition behind the breakwater. Therefore several experimental works of the detached breakwater system were carried out under the guidance of the present author, and most of these tests were successful. The design method of this system was composed by the author on the basis of the result of field investigations, which have been conducted for more than 8 years. The numerous construction works of detached breakwaters have been carried out in accordance with the design method proposed in this paper, and the effectiveness of detached breakwaters has been proved on the several coasts in Japan where severe beach erosion occurs.